Bureau of Labor Statistics goes 'Hunger Games,' maps out US as Panem districts

by Lindsey Leake, Sinclair Broadcast Group

WASHINGTON (Sinclair Broadcast Group) - If you've read "The Hunger Games" trilogy, seen the movies, or are familiar with the dystopian fiction franchise, chances are you've fantasized about which Panem district you'd live in after the apocalypse.

Wanting to be just like heroine Katniss Everdeen, you imagine the coal mines of District 12. Your warrior's heart and competitive spirit might land you in District 1 or 2. Perhaps your affinity for the sea would place you among the trident-wielding fishermen of District 4. If you live in the Rockies, maybe you desire luxury among the mountains of the Capitol.

Thanks to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), you can now find out which district you'd be in based on where you currently live. (Although author Suzanne Collins describes Panem as "the country that rose up out of the ashes of a place that was once called North America," BLS has only determined districts for the U.S.)

However, this doesn't mean BLS has divided the country into 12 geographic regions; District 4 isn't confined to the wooded Pacific Northwest, and just because you live on the coast doesn't mean you're part of District 4. Instead, the bureau determines a locality's corresponding Panem district by location quotient (LQ), "a ratio of the percentage of workers in an industry or occupation in a certain area to the percentage of workers in that industry or occupation nationally."

The article states, "A location quotient greater than 1.0 indicates a higher-than-average concentration for an industry or occupation."

For example, Mingo County, West Virginia (475.42 LQ) is part of District 12; Steele County, Minnesota (18.99 LQ) is in District 1; Sully County, South Dakota (363.58 LQ) is in District 9; and Snohomish County, Washington (45.35 LQ) is part of District 6.

Click here to find out which district you live in. And, as always, may the odds be ever in your favor!